Preparations, Ambassador Pagoda, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2007

Early morning finds crews of temple volunteers polishing the ceremonial brass figures that adorn Hanoi's Ambassador Pagoda. I stood on a balcony overhead and shot straight down on a woman who was looking up at her work. The most effective way to photograph any person at work is head on, rather than from the side. Side vantage points are always passive instead of active, and invite confusing mergers in the background. If a person is looking down at their work, the photographer should get down and shoot up, even if it means getting on the floor. And if the person is looking up at their work, it is best to seek a higher vantage point, as I do here, and shoot down on it.

Thanks, Vera, for seeing the energy behind those closed eyes. I am glad they kindle your imagination. I hope that this image will help you grasp the importance of vantage point: where you choose to stand will often determine what your picture has to say.

Guest

06-Feb-2008 01:56

I never in a million years would have thought of this. There are no distractions in this photo. We are left to see her face and imagine. Perhaps she is imagining being in another place and time with her eyes closed so tightly. If I close my eyes, this will all go away.

She may look like her eyes are closed, but the water on the ground around her is testimony to her hard work and her concentration on her task. The gleaming gold against the dull gray background is proof of her commitment.
Jenene